Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90 [email protected]

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Today we continue our study of King Benjamin's sermon to his people. We begin reflecting on his discourse about the Saviour and begin by looking at why the Saviour came and what His ministry included. 

John Taylor: The Savior thus becomes master of the situation—the debt is paid, the redemption made, the covenant fulfilled, justice satisfied, the will of God done, and all power is now given into the hands of the Son of God—the power of resurrection, the power of redemption, the power of salvation .... He becomes the author of eternal life and exaltation. He is the Redeemer, the Resurrector, the Savior of man and the world. ... in some mysterious, incomprehensible way, Jesus assumed the responsibility which naturally would have devolved upon Adam; but which could only be accomplished through the mediation of Himself, and by taking upon Himself their sorrows, assuming their responsibilities, and bearing their transgressions or sins. In a manner to us incomprehensible and inexplicable, he bore the weight of the sins of the whole world; not only of Adam, but of his posterity; and in doing that, opened the kingdom of heaven, not only to all believers and all who obeyed the, law of God, but to more than one-half of the human family who die before they come to years of maturity, as well as to the heathen, who, having died without law, will, through His mediation, be resurrected without law, and be judged without law, and thus participate, according to their capacity, works and worth, in the blessings of His atonement.

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Join us as we continue studying King Benjamin's words about serving God and man. We consider the example set by our Saviour and we also reflect on the loving debt we are given by our Heavenly Father. 

Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf: Even if we were to serve God with our whole souls, it is not enough, for we would still be 'unprofitable servants.' We cannot earn our way into heaven; the demands of justice stand as a barrier, which we are powerless to overcome on our own. But all is not lost. The grace of God is our great and everlasting hope. Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the plan of mercy appeases the demands of justice 'and [brings] about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.' Our sins, though they may be as scarlet, can become white as snow. Because our beloved Savior 'gave himself a ransom for all,' an entrance into His everlasting kingdom is provided unto us. The gate is unlocked! But the grace of God does not merely restore us to our previous innocent state. If salvation means only erasing our mistakes and sins, then salvation—as wonderful as it is—does not fulfill the Father’s aspirations for us. His aim is much higher: He wants His sons and daughters to become like Him. With the gift of God’s grace, the path of discipleship does not lead backward; it leads upward.

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Today we begin our study of the sermon of King Benjamin, looking at his thoughts on service. We consider how this landmark sermon teaches important principles of service and how service can bless the individual also. 

Boyd K Packer: “In one sense we ourselves may participate in an atonement. When we are willing to restore to others that which we have not taken, or heal wounds that we did not inflict, or pay a debt that we did not incur, we are emulating His part in the Atonement.”

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90 [email protected]

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Join us as we begin our study of the great speech of King Benjamin. Today we consider the preparation from the people and from King Benjamin himself. We reflect on the impact of this preparation also. 

John W Welch: Benjamin’s monumental speech...became a type of constitutional document in Nephite culture.... The fact that each family was given a copy of this speech...facilitated its far-reaching impact.... Shortly after Benjamin’s death...Mosiah sent Ammon and fifteen other emissaries to the Land of Nephi. When they found Limhi and his people, Ammon ‘rehearsed unto them the last words which King Benjamin had taught' (Mosiah 8:3), and the people of Limhi followed Benjamin’s pattern and ‘entered into a covenant with God'...(Mosiah 21:31). Almost a century later, Helaman spoke to his sons...admonishing them ‘to remember...the words which King Benjamin spake unto his people.

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Today we embark on our first study of the Bicentennial Proclamation to the World, focusing on the title and the first few paragraphs. We consider how Christ is the centre of all these teachings and we reflect on the truths we learn from the beginning of this great work. 

President Russell M Nelson: We have gone to these extraordinary efforts because when we remove the Lord’s name from the name of His Church, we inadvertently remove Him as the central focus of our worship and our lives. When we take the Savior’s name upon us at baptism, we commit to witness, by our words, thoughts, and actions, that Jesus is the Christ.

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Join us today as we continue our study into the blessings of the Atonement - this time focusing on the cleansing and perfecting process of this great and merciful gift. We reflect on its power in the lives of real people and how we can apply it no matter how far we've gone. 

Craig A Carden: While this truth is readily accepted by all believers, not so easily acknowledged is the essential companion truth: the Savior forgives sins “upon earth” and not just at the Final Judgment. He does not excuse us in our sins. He does not condone our return to past sins. But when we repent and obey His gospel, He forgives us.

In this forgiveness we see the enabling and the redeeming power of the Atonement harmoniously and graciously applied. If we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the enabling power of His Atonement strengthens us in our moment of need, and His redeeming power sanctifies us as we “[put] off the natural man.” This brings hope to all, especially to those who feel that recurring human weakness is beyond the Savior’s willingness to help and to save.

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Join us today as we continue our study into the blessings of the Atonement - this time focusing on the cleansing and perfecting process of this great and merciful gift. We reflect on its power in the lives of real people and how we can apply it no matter how far we've gone. 

Bruce R McConkie: The spiritual birth comes after the natural birth. It is to die as pertaining to worldliness and carnality and to become a new creature by the power of the Spirit. It is to begin a new life, a life in which we bridle our passions and control our appetites, a life of righteousness, a spiritual life. Whereas we were in a deep abyss of darkness, now we are alive in Christ and bask in the shining rays of his everlasting light. Such is the new birth, the second birth, the birth into the household of Christ.

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90 [email protected]

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

On this sacred day, we consider how the sacrifice of our Saviour affects us. We reflect on what He actually suffered and what this principles this teaches us, about justice, mercy, grace and why having a body can teach us valuable experiences. 

Stephen Robinson: All the negative aspects of human existence brought about by the Fall, Jesus Christ absorbed into himself. He experienced vicariously in Gethsemane all the private griefs and heartaches, all the physical pains and handicaps, all the emotional burdens and depressions of the human family. He knows the loneliness of those who don't fit in or who aren't handsome or pretty. He knows what it's like to choose up teams and be the last one chosen. He knows the anguish of parents whose children go wrong. He knows the private hell of the abused child or spouse. He knows all these things personally and intimately because he lived them in the Gethsemane experience. Having personally lived a perfect life, he then chose to experience our imperfect lives. In that infinite Gethsemane experience, the meridian of time, the center of eternity, he lived a billion billion lifetimes of sin, pain, disease, and sorrow. “God uses no magic wand to simply wave bad things into nonexistence. The sins that he remits, he remits by making them his own and suffering them. The pain and heartaches that he relieves, he relieves by suffering them himself. These things can be shared and absorbed, but they cannot be simply wished or waved away. They must be suffered. Thus we owe him not only for our spiritual cleansing from sin, but for our physical, mental, and emotional healings as well, for he has borne these infirmities for us also. All that the Fall put wrong, the Savior in his atonement puts right. It is all part of his infinite sacrifice—of his infinite gift

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90

You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'.

Today we continue our Easter week study, firstly by comparing the events of the Holy Week and the traditions within the passover season that this week fell on. We then consider the blessing of the Resurrection further, identifying the importance of death in God's plan for us. 

President Russell M Nelson: If the body’s capacity for normal function, defense, repair, regulation, and regeneration were to prevail without limit, life here would continue in perpetuity. Yes, we would be stranded here on earth! Mercifully for us, our Creator provided for aging and other processes that would ultimately result in our physical death. Death, like birth, is part of life. Scripture teaches that ‘it was not expedient that man should be reclaimed from this temporal death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness.’ To return to God through the gateway we call death is a joy for those who love Him and are prepared to meet Him. Eventually the time will come when each‘spirit and … body shall be reunited again in … perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame,’ never to be separated again. For these physical gifts, thanks be to God!